the hearts of kings
by malefiscen
Summary: changed the rating to be safe will update new ch soon probably will chage some of the older ch as well remy after antarctica brotherhood joined the team oc and vic creed pairing
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: With the exception of the original characters, I don't  
  
own them, Marvel does (unless you've been hiding under a rock you already knew that)  
  
a/n first x-men fic-hold the flames a minute ...gets flame retardant bodysuit and extinguisher...ok, flame away  
  
Telepathic conversation

Prologue

* * *

Unwilling to fully surrender her nap to wakeful consciousness, Sasha 'Shox' Manning-Creed determinedly kept her eyes closed as she burrowed deeper into her warm cocoon which consisted of her husband's chest and favorite down comforter.

"Wake-up sleepy head. We have to meet with the contractor in thirty minutes."

Feigning sleep, Sasha ignored her husband. "Sash, you know I know yer awake. I don't want to go either, but this was yer idea to build a house and move outta the mansion, so I ain't going alone. The twins are already with Rogue and the damn Cajun downstairs." All the while, Victor Creed allowed his hands to roam the pregnant form of his mate. Her body responding to her husband's heated touch, a moan of pleasure escaped her lips. Shifting her position in his lap, of their own volition, her thighs parted slightly and draped her legs over his.

Taking one last look at what he considered the most beautiful woman he'd set eyes on, Victor closed his eyes and silently cursed his newfound sense of responsibility and accountability, while alternately counting to 100 in Russian, hoping that he'd have to the strength to leave the bed given his very aroused state.

"Ugh, Creed yer gettn' soft. Ain't too long ago you'd leave a woman like this fer a pansy assed frail contractor. Damn them X-geeks fer makn' me soft!" he thought to himself.

Having reached 100 and opened his eyes, Victor realized his hands had continued to stroke Sasha's body unconsciously. Groaning inwardly, he took a deep breath and kicked the comforter from the bed. Abruptly sitting up, well as abruptly as one can be at seven months pregnant, as the room temperature air hit her body like a bucket of ice water, she faced Victor and glared daggers. Chuckling to himself as his feet hit the ground, "a few weeks ago she would've jumped me."

"Wipe that smirk of your face Vic! This isn't funny." The sparkle in her eye belied the anger in her voice. Deciding to change tactics she asked "how much time do we have?" Seeing the blush creeping towards her cheeks, shaking his 'no', Victor replied, "not enough."

The two finally made their way downstairs with time to spare. Victor and Sasha stuck their heads into the rec room to kiss their twins goodbye. Sitting on the couch between their favorite babysitters, Hunter and Brianna sang along as they watched 'The Wiggles'. Sensing their parents, two curly, honey blonde heads turned and Brie as she's known as to the mansion's residents, teleported herself and brother into her father's waiting arms.

"You did a good job 'blinking' (teleporting) puddn'. Yer daddy's girl." Giving her father an angelic smile, Brie nodded her head in agreement. Looking at his son, Victor continued. "Yer mama and me gotta see the man fixn' us a house, 'kay? I want you to be good for yer Aunt Rogue and the damn Cajun and take care of yer sister. Yer daddy's chief?" With that the little boy changed into his lion cub form, bared his teeth and gave a Simba like roar. Smiling proudly, his father rubbed his head and tickled his belly as the little cub licked his father's face before changing back into a three year old toddler.

Due to her pregnant state, Shox had to be content to reach over to kiss her children goodbye. Kissing each child and assuring them that they were 'Mommy's favorite munchkins', Victor and Sasha took their leave. Brie 'blinked' her and Hunter back to their seats on the couch and resumed singing along with the television.

From their respective seats in the room Logan, Warren, Storm, Betsy, Emma, Scott, Jean, Mystique, Magneto and Bishop watched the entire goodbye exchange unfold before them with varying degrees of amusement. Rogue, who was too busy laughing at Remy who was engrossed with the Disney program, missed the exchange entirely.

Telepathically, Emma mused I've seen it a million times but who would've thought Victor Creed, Sabretooth, would be in the running for 'Father of the Year'? You know it gives me hope for Logan, Bishop and Cable. From the kitchen Cable yelled, I heard that! There was telepathic laughing amongst the X-men gathered in the rec room. You know, I never thought those two would make it. You weren't the only one Jean, replied Ororo.

Surveying the domestic scene, something he never would have imagined included Magneto or any member of the Brotherhood for that matter, Logan recounted the events from the last several years that had brought them to where they were now.


	2. ch1

Disclaimer: See Prologue

"Shhh! I can't hear what the adults are talking about!"

"Scoot over" "Move your hands". The X-babies as they're affectionately referred to, behind their backs of course, were doing their best to listen to the argument taking place amongst the adults in the med-lab from the safety of Jamie and Artie's room. Among the brood was Tara, whose hearing was superior to Sabretooth and Logan.

"If you guys don't shut up I can't hear them" hissed Tara. The kids got quiet, and Tara continued listening and relating the ongoing events.

"How dare you get on your self-righteous, sanctimonious, soapbox Summers? Who do you think you are! Any of you! Not a damn one of you has any room to judge anyone's past! Not any one of you!"

"You don't understand Shox! Remy was responsible for the Morlock massacre! As in he organized the whole damn thing. My God, he willingly went to Sinister, unlike the other Marauders!" roared Scott. The entire team was assembled in the med-lab, with the exception of Jean and Ororo, who were with the Professor at conference on Muir Island and not due to return for another week.

"Wrong Fearless Leader! I know exactly what Remy did and he still didn't deserve to be ABANDONED by his family in fucking ANTARCTICA! He's an X-man! We don't pull this kind of shit on each other! And Rogue-I always knew not being able to have human contact affected you, I just never realized what a heartless bitch it turned you into! All these years I doubted you but I guess you're right- Marie is dead!"

Silence descended upon the room. Logan unsheathed his claws and growled, "Shox yer on thin ice never talk to Rogue like that again! Never!" As for you, directing his glare towards Remy, 'bub you ain't welcome here! Get yer ass outa here now or I'll see you out!"

"You of all people don't have the right to judge anyone's past!" shouted an angry Shox. All the shit you've done-assassinations, torture, rape, pillage and God only knows what other crimes you've committed. Oh yeah you conveniently had your memory wiped. Poor Wolverine can't remember the shit he's done, therefore its okay. Instead we'll take pity on the unfortunate feral and make him an X-man. Never mind all the running off to supposedly search for clues to your past. Where do you go Logan? How do we know you aren't part of a terrorist operation when you're not here? How do we trust you? After all you were nothing more than a Weapon X lab rat-who's to say you're still not under their control?" Logan inched closer with each word until he was toe to toe with Shox. With claws extended, catching the fluorescent lights across the edges, he placed one hand directly underneath Shox's chin and placed the other on her carotid artery. A thin line of blood appeared and ran down her neck into the collar of her blouse. The X-Men had drawn blood from one of their own.

Before Logan could speak, Shox did. "Lower your claws or we'll see how well adamantium conducts electricity."

The air crackled with electricity and the lights within the mansion flickered. The students in Jamie and Artie's room huddled closer together. They'd never seen their teachers disagree over anything and this argument scared them.

"Miss Manning's right, they should let Mr. Lebeau back." "I agree with you Tara", said Artie. Siren nodded her head in agreement. "Well, I think he shouldn't come back, well at least not before saying he's sorry" countered Tabitha. "I just want them to stop fighting. I really wish the Professor was here. He'd know what to do" replied a very solemn Sam. On that note the students all agreed.

Meanwhile, in the med-lab, "I'm with Logan. He's not an X-man, not anymore. Never should have been. Remy's an enemy-one who should be punished for his crimes" shouted Marrow. Several X-men murmured their agreement including a seething, but tearful Rogue. Remy, who had been standing silently in a corner, made his way out of the med-lab.

"Merde! Remy should'na come back", mumbled Gambit as he walked along the wall. He hoped for Shox's sake, Wolverine lowered his claws. He knew Shox was beyond rage and was this close to frying the Canadian. Gambit also knew at some point she would regret her actions and feel guilty. He wanted to spare her those feelings.

"Someone as beautiful and kind as Shox shouldn't go through that, 'specially cause of moi" he thought to himself. Gambit considered going back to the med-lab and telling Shox to let it go, however he continued down the hall to the elevator. "If someone wants to fight Remy's battles den let'em. Mebbe she might win. Dat femme is one hellva lawyer. As the elevator doors closed, Gambit could hear Shox's voice take on a deadly edge.

"Logan, I'm warning you." Logan slowly retracted his claws from Shox's neck. The blood from her wound trickled in a path down her smooth café au lait skin onto Logan's hairy knuckles where his claws were leaving red stains against a tanned backdrop. Each X-Man stood completely dumb-founded. Normally Shox and Wolverine were considered friends. Some speculated the gruff Canadian even held sisterly feelings towards the Institute's resident lawyer. With the exception of Rogue, she was the only other person who could go toe to toe with him.

At the sight of blood, Hank went into doctor mode and broke the silence. "Oh my stars and garters! Sasha, you're bleeding. Let me bandage your wound." Before anyone could react, Shox electrocuted Logan with several thousand volts of electricity. "Hank, I think Logan needs you more than I do". Upon glaring at the charred remains of burned flesh, Shox erected a force field to prevent Hank from offering Logan any medical assistance. In a voice Shox didn't recognize as her own, "On second thought leave him be. He has a healing factor-let it earn its keep."

The smell of burned flesh permeated the air. Bishop cocked his gun, Cable's eye glowed as his arm began forming into a weapon of sorts as Hank bared his fangs, losing his 'doctor visage'. Cyclops' hand held his ruby quartz glasses as Rogue lunged towards a still bleeding Shox from across the room.

"You crazy bitch! How could you do that to him! You may have killed him! Ah hate you!" With a smirk playing on her full mouth, the tip of her tongue ran sensually across the bottom lip. "So you wanna dance, bring it on! Lets see how well Ms. Marvel can handle me!"

Shox stood in an attack position, the electricity crackling in the air, her body radiating rage, ready to counter Rogue. Bishop set his gun to the highest stun setting as Cable aimed at Shox's chest. Betsy tried in vain to reason telepathically with the team, but with so much rage in the room she couldn't communicate clearly with anyone. Warren, Bobby and Kurt watched in horror as the scene before them unfolded in slow motion. Just as Rogue's fist was about to connect with Sasha's ribs, Bishop and Cable fired their weapons.


	3. ch2

Disclaimer: see prologue  
  
"Bampf"

Emerging from the haze of smoke, twin scorch marks materialized on the wall where Shox was standing only seconds before. Brimstone mingled with burned flesh. Marrow, Bobby, Warren and Betsy covered their noses desperately trying to keep from inhaling the noxious odor while Cable and Bishop, seemingly immune to the stench, exchanged looks of surprise. Only Scott, Rogue and Beast were overwhelmed by the smell and vomited into the sink.

Kurt and Shox reappeared in the hall outside the classrooms on the first floor. Immediately Shox walked towards to elevators. Kurt intercepted her and blocked Sasha's access to the elevator.

"Mien got! Vhat are you doing? Are you trying to start a var? Herr Logan will kill you vhen he awakens! Cable and Bishop already tried to shoot you! Fraulien Sasha are you listening?!" The concern on face and in his voice was genuine, but Shox didn't care. She tried to out maneuver him to no avail.

"Move Kurt."

"No"

"Now elf."

"You sound like Herr Logan." Despite the circumstances, Kurt found humor in Sasha's use of Wolverine's nickname for him. However, one look at her face, Kurt regretted uttering the name. Her eyes began to glow amber and the electricity began to crackle. Praying to God he wouldn't wind up like Logan, Kurt placed his hand over Shox's. Her eyes returned to their normal brown and the sparks of electricity disappeared from the air. Making a mental note not to mention Logan again, Kurt forged ahead.

"Fraulien, tell me vhat's vrong. I vill listen to your side. Just talk to me."

Gazing into those pleading yellow eyes, Shox began to calm down. Kurt always had that effect on her. Sighing to herself in defeat, she sank to the floor and leaned against a wall, all the while never letting go of his hand. Converting her body's energy into several thousand volts of electricity instead of manipulating the energy around her was tiring to say the least and teleporting with Kurt left her feeling on the wrong side of a hangover. Realizing this may be the only opportunity she had to defend her actions before the Professor returned and probably banished her from the mansion Shox closed her eyes and marshaled her reserves and began explaining herself.

"When I found out the team left Remy in Antarctica, I was sick. I couldn't believe the Professor allowed it happen. But I guess I was angrier at myself for not being there to stop it. I shouldn't have been away from the mansion in the first place. It felt like a piece of me was ripped out and now I have an aching heart. I love Remy like a brother. I loved Scott like a brother too. Shit, I loved all of you like family, more so than my own family."

Hearing the elevator descend to the med-lab, Kurt teleported Shox to the roof before it ascended with the lynch mob from below.

"The elevator was called."

Understanding the brief explanation, Shox continued with her story at Kurt's prodding.

"Or confession, given that Kurt studied for priesthood", Shox mused to herself.

"Hmm, vhat vas that fraulien?" With his enhanced hearing, Kurt heard every mumbled utterance.

"Nothing", knowing full well that Kurt heard her muttering to herself; Sasha sighed and answered his question. "I was just thinking that for all intents and purposes you're a priest and this may as well be confession."

"Ah, I see, vell continue". Leaning back into the protective embrace of her only friend-well the only person not attacking or cursing her-she continued.

"You weren't on that particular little mission were you?" Kurt shook his head 'no', "but this confession is for your soul, not mine. My time will come later."

"Kurt, you have to be the most forgiving person. No one else would have given me the time of day after the stunt I pulled earlier and you, you saved my life." A tear traveled the length of her now pale face and fell onto the blood stained blouse.

"Fraulien, you're stalling" admonished the quasi-priest. Sniffling and smiling-for the first time in months-Shox finally continued.  
  
Crappy place to end I know but review please!!!!!!!!!


	4. ch3

Disclaimer: see prologue

"I feel responsible for Remy's abandonment. I should have been there, not on vacation. It's like I let him down- I couldn't protect him from the others. They've always been wary of him no matter how many times he put it on the line for the rest of us. I bet, no, I know Warren and Scott were all too happy to go along with that bitch and leave him there. But he's more than a teammate, so much more, at least to me! My family had business with the Thieves Guild, which is how I met Remy. I remember the first time I met him. It was before my 12th birthday. Jean-Luc told him to be nice so he took me shopping for a gift and I was the biggest brat."

"Vait, you vere a brat?"

"Oh you got jokes elf! Stop interrupting!"

"In the time we were out, I managed to us kicked out of several stores and piss-off his then girlfriend. Remy finally snapped and I played my part of the injured little girl-man I should've won an Oscar for that performance. Henri later told me Rem caught hell from Tante Mattie. Up until I was 16 we were like oil and vinegar. I was in New Orleans again, this time with my grandmother. It was important to her that I participate in a Mardi Gras cotillion. So there I was in this frou-frou white pageant gown, going through awkward teenage mutant puberty and I overheard Marcel and her beautiful debutante clique saying how unfit I was to be a deb. They said my family's money wasn't clean and my mother was my uncle's whore and my daddy got stuck with sloppy seconds. I was torn between crying right there in my hiding spot or ripping Marcel's face to shreds, and out of nowhere came Remy. I'll never forget how he looked or what he said; his eyes were glowing red and in the coldest most menacing voice I've ever heard him use, he said 'Never insult her again. Marcel you will always be a sloppy second compared to dat fille.' After that he was my escort for the entire ball. We never spoke of that night and we still fought, but it was as brother and sister, not enemies. I could imagine how he felt-alone, afraid, cold. You know that damn Cajun has a fit if the temperature drops below 75F."

Kurt chuckled in agreement.

"I don't know what to do. If Rem can't stay here neither can I. Even if everyone in the med-lab can forgive me... I don't know what to do Kurt." Sasha finally stopped pacing the roof and settled against Kurt's shoulder, letting her tears be absorbed by his soft, indigo fur.  
  
Review please!!!!!!!!!


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